Specialising in pizzas and other Italian dishes, Pizza Express has become one of the nation’s favourite restaurant chains. This one is situated in Cardiff Bay and is good for couples, groups of friends and families alike.

The Venue
Pizza Express is located in Mermaid Quay opposite the Roald Dahl museum in the heart of Cardiff Bay. The table layout is the first thing you notice; you are made all too aware that they have tried to fit the maximum number of tables into the least amount of space. However, once you are seated you don’t notice and can start to enjoy the pleasant decor. The restaurant exterior is entirely glass on one side, which can give pleasant views over the Quay. However, on a busy evening the glass also enables passers-by to stare in on your romantic meal.

The Atmosphere
Upon entering Pizza Express you are greeted by friendly staff who try to get you seated as soon as possible. There is an agreeable atmosphere created by low level lighting, although this is sometimes lost due to the high volume of people. Once seated, you are able to relax safe in the knowledge that you’ve got a table and the main event of the food is about to commence.

The Food
Pizza Express is reasonably priced and offers a large selection of pizzas, pastas and salads. To start you should definitely try the dough balls, these are a Pizza Express classic. Although deemed a side order they make a great starter, consisting of bite sized balls of pizza dough with a creamy garlic butter dip – they’re perfect for sharing! When choosing mains there’s the classic like Margherita (cheese and tomato), American Hot (add pepperoni jalapeno peppers). They’ve also introduced the Pizza Romano, which is a flatter, thinner and wider pizza base and comes with delightful toppings like the Pinglestone (smoked pancetta and free range egg). This will set you back a slightly more expensive £9.45.

It is a must to save space for desserts here. Pizza Express offer a wide variety of puddings and coffees to end your meal. In particular the banoffee pie is a delightful guilty pleasure with lashings of gooey toffee and a crumbly base. Also the Sicilian lemon sorbet is a great way to freshen the palette, and adding a dash of lemoncello liqueur is a great Italian way to end a meal.

The Drink
Pizza Express offers a wide range of Italian beers (Peroni) and wines to compliment your meal. The Frascati (£14.25 per bottle) is a crisp, fresh white wine which tastes great with any pasta or pizza dish. For the non-alcohol drinkers, the Sicilian Lemonade simply tickles your taste buds and transports you to Italy and back in one mouthful.

The Last Word
Pizza Express is a top-notch restaurant chain offering great food and service for a reasonable price. Their restaurant in Cardiff Bay gets incredibly busy and there is no pre-booking for small tables. However, if you come at an off-peak time you should be able to sit and take your time while enjoying consistently good food and drink.